Civil Service decision on Pride 'disappointing' says minister

A Stormont minister has said he is "very disappointed" that the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) has withdrawn from taking part in Pride parades.

Andrew Muir, who is gay, was speaking after it emerged the NICS had decided not to participate in the LGBT events this summer.

NICS staff have taken part in the LGBT events since 2018, but their involvement had been questioned by some Stormont politicians over impartiality concerns.

Senior officials told staff the NICS was "not in a position to participate" this year due to the "current legal and case law context".

The Executive Office (TEO) and Department of Finance (DoF), which has responsibility for NICS matters, have been approached for comment.

There are more than 24,000 staff across the NICS, making it one of Northern Ireland's largest employers.

Staff were updated on the NICS policy on Pride events in an internal communication, which was first reported by the News Letter and seen by BBC News NI.

It was signed with the names of the Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, and permanent secretaries for departments within the Northern Ireland Executive.

"The Northern Ireland Civil Service remains fully committed to supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues, and to fostering a workplace where people feel able to be themselves and do not have to hide who they are," it read.

"However, in the current legal and case law context, the NICS is not in a position to participate in Pride events this year in an official capacity, where colleagues would be identifiable as representing the organisation.

"This position applies to Pride events throughout this year."

It said they "recognise that this will be disappointing for colleagues" and it "does not reflect any wider change in our commitment to LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion".

Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir told BBC News NI he was "very disappointed" by the decision.

"I understand the context to it and obviously that's a decision for the Civil Service," he said.

The Alliance Party minister claimed some in political life in Northern Ireland were seeking to "roll back and deny the rights of LGBT people".

"And I'm not going to be standing for that," he said, adding that he would be attending Pride events this summer with others from the LGBT community.

The NICS has previously defended its participation in Pride events, saying that it was "committed to being an inclusive employer".

Last year Belfast Pride decided to exclude Stormont executive parties from their summer parade for supporting a ban on puberty blockers for under 18s.

Puberty blockers are drugs used to delay or prevent puberty happening and have sometimes been prescribed to children questioning their gender.

The move led to a clash of opinions behind the scenes among senior NICS staff over how to respond.

One senior adviser had warned Brady the NICS would be "open to the charge of acting politically" by continuing to take part in Belfast Pride.

But another official said that NICS participation "as an employer" was "different to political attendance".

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Jonathan Buckley welcomed the move by the NICS, saying that Pride was a "political event".

He said that "every employee should be treated with dignity and respect" but the role of the NICS was "not to align itself with overtly political events".

"Public confidence in the impartiality of our institutions is important, and decisions taken by the Civil Service should always be guided by the law and the interests of all those it serves," he added.

In a previous statement, DoF said the NICS was "committed to being an inclusive employer".

It said the "Civil Service LGBTQ+ Staff Network has participated in the Belfast Pride parade since 2018".

In 2023, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) instructed officers not to participate in Pride parades in uniform, having previously taken part since 2017.